Writing in a personal capacity to share views, information and resources for teachers, trade unionists and campaigners in London - and beyond!

Friday, 7 September 2012

NUT votes YES YES for action

The NUT National Executive meeting this afternoon welcomed the overwhelming results of our national ballots to seek to persuade the Secretary of State for Education to protect teachers' pay and working conditions:The results for the votes covering teachers in England were: In favour of discontinuous strike action YES 83.4%, NO 16.6% In favour of industrial action short of strike action YES 93.1% NO 6.9%Similar majorities were recorded for the ballots in Wales and in Sixth Form Colleges.The overall turnout (of 27%) compares well with many national ballots especially given the timing of the ballot at the very end of a gruelling academic year. Above all, the huge majorities in favour show that NUT members are ready and willing to take action to oppose the barrage of attacks on our pay and working conditions being thrown at teachers by the Secretary of State Michael Gove. On the basis of these overwhelming results, the NUT Executive voted unanimously:

For action short of strike action to commence (at a date to be confirmed shortly) *

In the event that the Government shows no evidence of moving on our concerns, the Union will approach the NASUWT with a view to moving to a programme of discontinuous strike action later this term

To propose to the NASUWT a joint meeting of our National Executives to consider the next steps in the campaign

A set of action short of strike action instructions will soon be issued so that urgent preparations can now be made in schools and Local Associations ready for the action to commence. This action will be being taken jointly alongside the NASUWT, representing, in total, 85% of teachers in England and Wales.It was also reported to the Executive that, as part of our dispute with the Secretary of State, the ballot result will allow the Union to escalate action, from action short of strike up to strike action, where a school group, or groups, request it. This may rapidly become an issue in those schools and Local Authorities who are refusing to adopt appraisal/performance management and/or classroom observation policies in line with the NUT/NASUWT joint checklists.

The announcement of this overwhelming vote for action by NUT members nicely sets the tone for next week's Trades Union Congress and should give confidence to all those unions and TUC delegates that want to see a serious campaign of co-ordinated action - including plans for a 24-hour General Strike - being enacted by our movement.The NUT National Executive also voted overwhelmingly to endorse the position correctly taken by Christine Blower and Dave Harvey, the two NUT delegates to the TUC General Council yesterday, to support the motion from the Prison Officers' Association calling on the TUC to pursue "far reaching campaigns including the consideration and practicalities of a general strike". With the General Council vote on support for this motion being tied 16 for and 16 against, this could yet become TUC policy!

The TUC Lobby being called in Brighton this Sunday by the National Shop Stewards Network this Sunday, calling for a 24-hour General Strike, could not be better timed. I will certainly be there - why don't you get there too!? (See: http://shopstewards.net/2012/08/lobby-the-tuc-strike-against-austerity/)* There will be a joint NASUWT/NUT Press Conference at the Trades Union Congress in Brighton on Monday where further details will be released

Martin Powell-Davies

* Brought up as a socialist by parents who hungered for what is right * One adopted grandfather left me a double-barrelled name, the other his name on a 1926 General Strike black-list * Joined the Labour Party as a teenager, left it when it abandoned the values and traditions of so many who built it in the past * Given a comprehensive education at St.Andrew's, Leatherhead * First-class degree from King's College, Cambridge, for those who like that kind of thing * Secondary science teacher in London 1986-2015 * Lewisham NUT Secretary 1993-2015, organiser of many campaigns to defend teachers and education * Living in Sydenham since 1997, father of four who were all so well-supported by Sedgehill School * Member of the NUT National Executive 2010-15 * NUT London Regional Secretary 2016 - * Proud to have been name-checked by Gove for saying that his 'reforms' could make teaching unbearable * Member of the CWI, following its global struggles via http://www.socialistworld.net * Candidate for TUSC in Lewisham West & Penge, 2015 * Member of Penge CC, often a 'Middle Aged Man In Lycra' on Sundays